By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reveals that there are not dozens but hundreds of sinkholes on the world-class island resort of Boracay. This has alarmed officials of Barangays Manoc-Manoc and Yapak, two specific places on the island suspected of having these sinkholes.
Locals recall how scientists visited them back in 2018 to study several deep wells which were said to be interconnected. Possibly, these are the sinkholes being referred to by the MGB, but the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 office remains mum on the issue.
The MGB hazard maps cannot be released, it says, without proper clearance from the DENR Secretary. This is problematic and drums up much bad press and needless alarm for the country’s tourism gem. The DENR and MGB should be more responsible in putting out more circumspect information for the benefit of island dwellers and the tourism industry.
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The Chinese Coast Guard and Beijing’s maritime minions have done it again, harassing and issuing challenges to the Philippine supply boat bringing noche buena goodies to our troops stationed at the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
Let’s set things straight. These dangerous maneuvers done by CCG and Chinese militia vessels to scare off the supply boat sent by our military’s Western Command (WESCOM) are happening within our territory in the West Philippine Sea, which is also part of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
While the supply boat prevailed, successfully delivering, among others, the “lechon de leche,” shame on you Xi Jinping and your Merry Men of maritime Christmas spoilers! How dare your vessels swarm our territorial waters every time we are in the season of blessed celebration? China is trying to be the biggest Grinch stealing Filipinos’ Yuletide cheer!
Guess what? You just listen… we’ll be singing along to our videoke machines with our troops there at BRP Sierra Madre till kingdom come! Rapa-pum-pum, rapa-pum-pum!
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Last Dec. 15, the House of Representatives approved with pompous haste on third and final reading the bill proposing the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) – a short 18 days from filing and a day after being certified as urgent by President Bongbong Marcos.
It comes regardless of the controversy surrounding its viability at an ungodly economic time as this, the sourcing of its funds from pension funds and state-run finance corporations on shaky legs, and the many questions about how it would be managed.
Sen. Koko Pimentel vowed to scrutinize this in the Senate to expose the bill for being fraught with transparency and accountability issues.
Why are this government and its band of loyalists in the House so obsessed with putting up this P75-billion Maharlika fund, even if it stands to be the most miniscule and embarrassing sovereign welfare fund (SWF) in the world?
Obviously, the administration is still hell-bent on making this “Maharlika” of an SWF happen by hook or by crook – and that’s me not being idiomatic about it!
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